巨人堤Giant's-Causeway精編版

1、uTheThe Giants CausewayGiants Causeway is an area of about 40,000 is an area of about 40,000 interlockinginterlocking basalt columns(basalt columns(玄武巖）玄武巖）, the result , the result of an ancientof an ancient volcanicvolcanic eruption.eruption.uIt is located inIt is located in County AntrimCounty An

2、trim（安特里姆郡（安特里姆郡 ） on on the northeast coast ofthe northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town km) northeast of the town ofof Bushmills. Bushmills. uIt was declared aIt was declared a World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage

3、Site（世界文化遺（世界文化遺產）產） byby UNESCOUNESCO（聯(lián)合國教科文組織）（聯(lián)合國教科文組織） in 1986, and in 1986, and a a national nature reservenational nature reserve in 1987 by theDepartment in 1987 by theDepartment of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 poll ofpoll

4、of Radio TimesRadio Times readers, the Giants Causeway readers, the Giants Causeway was named as the fourth greatestwas named as the fourth greatest natural wondernatural wonder in in the United Kingdom.the United Kingdom.GeologyGeologyuAround 50 to 60 million years ago,Around 50 to 60 million years

5、 ago, during during thethe PaleogenePaleogene Period, Antrim was subject to Period, Antrim was subject to intenseintense volcanicvolcanic activity, when highly activity, when highly fluid moltenfluid molten（流體熔融（流體熔融 ） basaltbasalt intruded intruded t h r o u g h c h a l kt h r o u g h c h a l k b e

6、 d s t o f o r m a n b e d s t o f o r m a n extensiveextensive lavalava plateau.plateau.u As the lava cooled, As the lava cooled, contractioncontraction occurred. occurred. Horizontal contractionHorizontal contraction fracturedfractured in a in a similar way to drying mud, with the cracks similar w

7、ay to drying mud, with the cracks propagating down as the mass cooled, propagating down as the mass cooled, leaving pillarlike structures, which are leaving pillarlike structures, which are also fractured horizontally into also fractured horizontally into biscuits. biscuits. u地質學家研究其中的構造，發(fā)現這道天然階梯是地質

8、學第三紀由活火山不斷噴發(fā)而形成的。一股股玄武巖熔流涌出地面，冷卻后收縮結晶形成六邊或四邊、五邊形的棱柱。經過海浪沖蝕，石柱群在不同高度被截斷，便呈現出高低參差的石柱林地貌。在“巨人之路”海岸，4萬多根這種玄武石柱不規(guī)則的排列起來，綿延幾公里，氣勢磅礴，蔚為壯觀。 四萬多石柱的奇觀u這四萬多根（也有說是三萬七千）大小均勻的玄武巖石柱聚集成一條綿延數千米的堤道，形狀很規(guī)則，看起來好像是人工鑿成的。大量的玄武巖石柱排列在一起，形成壯觀的玄武巖石柱林。它們以井然有序和磅礴的氣勢令人嘆為觀止。u巨人之路又被稱為巨人堤或巨人岬，這個名字起源于愛爾巨人之路又被稱為巨人堤或巨人岬，這個名字起源于愛爾蘭的民間傳

9、說。一種說法是由愛爾蘭巨人芬蘭的民間傳說。一種說法是由愛爾蘭巨人芬麥庫爾建造麥庫爾建造的。他把巖柱一個又一個地運到海底，那樣他就能走到蘇的。他把巖柱一個又一個地運到海底，那樣他就能走到蘇格蘭去與其對手芬格蘭去與其對手芬蓋爾交戰(zhàn)。當麥庫爾完工時，他決定蓋爾交戰(zhàn)。當麥庫爾完工時，他決定休息一會兒。而同時，他的對手芬休息一會兒。而同時，他的對手芬蓋爾穿越愛爾蘭來估蓋爾穿越愛爾蘭來估量一下他的對手，卻被誰著的巨人那巨大的身軀嚇壞了。量一下他的對手，卻被誰著的巨人那巨大的身軀嚇壞了。尤其是在麥庫爾的妻子告訴他，這事實上是巨人的孩子之尤其是在麥庫爾的妻子告訴他，這事實上是巨人的孩子之后，蓋爾在考慮這小孩的

10、父親該是怎樣的龐然大物時，也后，蓋爾在考慮這小孩的父親該是怎樣的龐然大物時，也為自己的生命擔心。他匆忙地撤回蘇格蘭，并毀壞了其身為自己的生命擔心。他匆忙地撤回蘇格蘭，并毀壞了其身后的堤道。現在堤道的所有殘余都位于安特里姆海岸上。后的堤道?，F在堤道的所有殘余都位于安特里姆海岸上。u另一種說法是愛爾蘭國王軍的指揮官巨人芬另一種說法是愛爾蘭國王軍的指揮官巨人芬麥庫爾麥庫爾力大無窮，一次在同蘇格蘭巨人的打斗中，他隨手拾起一力大無窮，一次在同蘇格蘭巨人的打斗中，他隨手拾起一塊石塊，擲向逃跑的對手。石塊落在大海里，就成了今日塊石塊，擲向逃跑的對手。石塊落在大海里，就成了今日的巨人島。后來他愛上了住在內赫布

11、里底群島的巨人姑娘，的巨人島。后來他愛上了住在內赫布里底群島的巨人姑娘，為了接她到這里來，才建造了這么一條堤道為了接她到這里來，才建造了這么一條堤道。Notable featuresNotable featuresuSome of the structures in the area, having been subject to Some of the structures in the area, having been subject to several million years of weathering, resemble objects, such several millio

12、n years of weathering, resemble objects, such as theas the OrganOrgan andand Giants BootGiants Boot structures. Other features structures. Other features include many reddish, weathered low columns known asinclude many reddish, weathered low columns known as Giants Giants Eyes, created by the displa

13、cement of basalt boulders; Eyes, created by the displacement of basalt boulders; thethe Shepherds Steps; theShepherds Steps; the Honeycomb; theHoneycomb; the Giants Harp; Giants Harp; thethe Chimney Stacks; theChimney Stacks; the Giants GateGiants Gate and theand the Camels Hump.Camels Hump.The Chim

14、ney StacksBasalt columnsThe Giants Bootredshanksea spleenwortFlora and faunaFlora and faunauThe area is a haven for seabirds such The area is a haven for seabirds such asas fulmar,fulmar, petrel,petrel, cormorant,cormorant, shag,shag, redshanredshank,k, guillemotguillemot andand razorbill, while the razorbill, while the weathered rock formations host a number of weathered rock formations host a number of r